Today’s topic is Onsen (hot spring).
Although we are based in Shima Onsen, Onsen (hot springs) are so familiar to us that we forgot to include them in this series of articles.
When we Japanese travel to a rural area, it has become a semi-default choice to stay at a Onsen resort.
Onsen(hot springs) are so ingrained in Japanese culture as a natural part of the country that we take them all too much for granted.
Hereafter in this article, hot springs will be referred to as Onsen.
Japan is by far the world’s largest Onsen country
Although I could not find any globally uniform data on Onsen,
Japan has about 3,000 Onsen resorts with lodging facilities and about 28,000(1) sources of Onsen water.
In contrast, the number of Onsen in the world is incredibly small.
The largest number of sources is 1,200 in France, more than 1,000 in Turkey, and 800 in Peru and Chile combined. In terms of the number of Onsen resorts, Iceland has 280, Italy 200, Hungary 135, and so on (2).
China, though, seems to have about 3,000(3) hot spring resorts, about the same number as Japan, with a land area 26 times larger than Japan, Japan is by far the world’s largest Onsen country.
Onsen Culture and Nature
Onsen is hot water that gushes out of the ground near volcanoes and other areas of high geothermal heat.
Therefore, Onsen tend to be located in areas blessed with natural environments, such as volcanoes as heat sources and rivers and oceans as water sources, many of them are also included in nature guides.
Also, in the SHIMA SPA GUIDE with PRO that I organize, I guide visitors to experience drinking Shima Onsen hot spring water and learn how to manage the Onsen sources spreading around the river.
There are also nature guided tours to places, such as Noboribetsu Onsen in Hokkaido, where you can go and see Onsen sources that you normally cannot see.
Each region of Japan still retains its own unique culture. For example, in Kusatsu Onsen, a hot spring next to Shima Onsen, there is “Yumomi”, where the temperature of the Onsen is lowered by stirring it, and in Hakone Onsen, a hot spring near Mt. Fuji, there is “Kuro-Tamago”, a boiled egg whose surface has turned black due to hot spring ingredients by boiling it in the Onsen.
So, it is recommended to enjoy the traditional Onsen culture of the area.
Onsen areas that can only be reached on foot
Although Onsen resorts are blessed with rich natural environments, most are easily accessible by car or public transportation.
However, there are some Onsen resorts located deep in the mountains that can only be reached on foot.
Take Akayu Onsen in Niigata Prefecture, for example.
It is located near the Naeba ski resort, one of the best ski resorts in Japan, but it requires several hours of walking on mountain paths.
There are other Onsen resorts scattered throughout Japan that can only be reached on foot or by climbing mountains.
Accessing these places alone can be risky, it is therefore strongly recommended to hire a nature guide (preferably bilingual!)
Onsen are Japan’s Treasure
Onsen are a characteristic of Japan’s natural environment and deeply rooted in Japanese culture.
Onsen are both a natural and a treasure for Japan, and the national government is pushing for their protection and enhancement through the National Recreational Hot Spring Resort System, the Hot Springs Law, and national parks.
Recently, there is a movement to have “Japanese Onsen culture” registered as an intangible cultural heritage by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
In order to better understand the nature and culture of Japan, it would be very enjoyable to stay in a Onsen resort at least once during your trip to Japan and walk around the town with a guide.
References
(1) Japan Onsen Research Institute https://www.onsen-r.co.jp/data/index.shtml
(2) “Onsen Resorts around the World: Development and Current Status” (written by Junji Yamamura, Tokyo: Japan Hot Spring Association, 2004.5)
(3) Visits to Hot Springs in China (1) (Hiroshi Katsura 2003.6)
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